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First, i will start with the increased productivity you will get with any Ferris Mower. Because of the suspension system you will increase your ground speed by a minimum of 1-2 MPH without any sacrafice in the quality of cut. I actually just delivered 3 Ferris units today to a landscaper that is huge on numbers/production matrix and found a 24.7% increase in productivity over their current fixed frame units. [productivity calculator].

Operation Costs on Ferris Propane Units:
You will get 8-10 running hrs under normal mowing conditions with the propane unit, which is very similar if not a little more to comparable gas units. So fuel pricing is where the difference is here. Right now i believe propane is a little cheaper per gallon. But that changes monthly as you know.

General maintenance on propane units is where you will see a lower cost. What we have found with the dedicated propane engine, is you will be able to stretch out your general maintenance (i.e. oil changes). Do to the much cleaner burning fuel you oil life is much greater. Just a quick note: the Ferris propane model is a dedicated propane engine, NOT a conversion!

There is no difference in common parts (belts,blades,tires).

One other mention about propane: Some cities/states give a pretty nice rebate ($1000 +)per unit, for going "green". So that is another unseen bonus to lower costs of units!

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No real changes. One thing a propane engine looks like it is doing, is putting out more torque. With all the tests run on it, it is putting out more torque than the same size gas engine. Propane burns faster than gas so they say that is where the higher torque rating comes from.

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For those considering such propane models, how easy is it to get the fuel in such containers?

Couple of options and the best one will probably depend on how many propane units you own.

#1 if you just own one or two, i would think you just have a few extra tanks and make weekly runs to a fill station.

#2 with multiple units there are great programs outhere from propane suppliers. They will set up a rack system at your shop and pur you on a weekly/bi-weekly exchange program, or as needed.

What do they cost and how are they transported? Do you see lawn care business owners traveling around with a couple of extra propane tanks on their trailer to swap when the old ones are empty?

With two tanks on the unit you should get a full days work without going empty. So most companies i have talked to that use propane, keep 1 spare bottle on each truck per unit. Then reload the next day.

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Thanks Steve! Really appreciate that. The idea behind it of course was to have another avenue to make people aware of Aztec Rental and what we can do for them, but we truly want inform and help people as well!

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How much time do you figure you spend on your blog? I think that would give other lawn care business owners some kind of idea if they wanted a nice blog too, what kind of time they would need to pencil in to work on it.